Bettering the Best

2 BETTERING y

BETTERING

the

‘BEST

Being a supplement to
“Selling the Best”

C.L. Best Tractor Co.

General Office — Factory—San Leandro, California
Factory Branch-Warehouse—St. Louis, Missourt

SALES OFFICES
San Francisco— 127 Montgomery Street
New York-30 Church Street

Dealers throughout the United States

BETTERING the BEST

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BETTERING the BEST

=n amittlS BOOKLET has been prepared

in order that you who are selling

Best Tractors may fully appreciate

and be prepared to emphasize the

many improvements and refinements which

have recently been incorporated in each
model.

The increasing betterment of Best Tractors
guarantees for the future their present envi
able position.

New improvements are constantly being
worked out—refinements here and changes
there, seemingly small in themselves perhaps,
but contributing largely to the completed
unit,

On both the “Sixty” and the “Thirty” the
front idler bearings are now equipped with
recoil springs, which allow the front idler to
move back if any obstruction gets between
the track and sprocket. This feature enables

The
Track
Tension
Spring

BETTERING the BEST

the tractor to work and turn short in loose
ground or snow without having to replace
the tightener pins, as was formerly necessary.
The movement of the idler is entirely auto-
matic. It will return to its normal position as
soon as the obstruction is removed. The drop
forged steel bracket that takes the recoil of
the spring is bolted between the webs of the
side channels. This construction makes it im-
possible for the bracket to spring the side
channels in any way.

Heavier type front idlers, much stronger

BETTERING the BEST

than those formerly used, have been installed.

The Stromberg carburetor has been adopt-
ed as standard equipment on all Best Tractors.

The governor spring is enclosed on both
“Thirty” and “Sixty,” preventing the opera-
tor from overspeeding the motor.

The track roller bearings on both “Thirty”
and “Sixty” are now protected from the en-
trance of dirt by an improved seal, which
should more than double the life of the bear-
ings. Two cork seals are used, of triangular
cross section, reacting against each other in
such a way that their combined cross section
is rectangular. They are located between the
end of the roller hub, which moves, and the
end collar, which is stationary. Against the
outer one of the cork seals bears a flat steel
washer, against which bear two small coil
springs located in recesses in the end collar.
The pressure of these springs, through the

BET TERING the BEST

Cross
Section
of ld ee 4 :

Track = fas ‘ : : an y
4
steel washer, keeps the two cork seals pressed
together and tends to spread them radially
so that the space between hub and collar,
through which dirt might enter, is at all times
tightly closed. These cork seals are inexpen- ny

sive, easily replaceable and, if track roller
lubrication is attended to at proper intervals,

should be long lived.

BETTERING the BEST

The track rollers on the “Thirty” are now
equipped with larger bearings having about
40% more capacity than those formerly used.
On the “Sixty” the track roller shafts are
now made with a flat on each side so they
can be reversed when one side is worn.

The “Sixty” motor contains the latest de-
velopments in motor construction that have
been worked out to make a good motor
better.

The crank case has been strengthened in
many ways and is extremely rigid. The crank
shaft diameter has been increased from 3 ins.
to 334 ins. The weight increase is from 174
Ibs. to 296 lbs.

The bearing lengths are, front, 43/4 ins.;
center, 6 ins.; rear, 6 ins.

The center bearing is longer and has
53.8% more area than the center bearing of
the former crank.

BETTERING the BEST

Showing
Relative
Sizes of
Old and
New
Sixty”
Crank
Shaft

In addition to increasing the diameter of
the main bearings and crank pins, the webs
also have been made heavier and strength-
ened, making the whole crank stronger and
more rigid. The bearing sizes are so propor-
tioned that equal wear will take place in all
of them.

The bearings are now supported in a box
girder section of the crank case, which has a
wall under each end of the bearing. The caps
are held in place with alloy steel studs and
have extra long castellated nuts.

BETTERING the BEST

The new “Sixty” motor is lubricated by a
pressure oiling system. The oil pump is
mounted in the sump and delivers oil under
pressure to the main bearings and connecting
rods, through separate pipes to each bearing
and through holes drilled in the crank shaft
to the connecting rods.

A large oil strainer of the bucket type is
placed between the crank and the sump so
that all the oil is constantly strained as it
circulates through the motor. This strainer
is easily removable for cleaning.

The pistons have four rings above the wrist
pin and one oil scraper ring below.

The main bearings and connecting rods are
so constructed that the babbitt does not over-
hang the bearing. This prevents any danger
of the babbitt breaking off if the bearings are
operated in a loose condition.

The bearing next to the fly wheel has an

BETTERING the BEST

The
Manifold
Side

of the
“Sixty”
Motor

oil seal which prevents any leakage of oil
even if the tractor is climbing a very steep

hill.

The crank case is supported at the rear by
two heavy brackets which are bolted to each
side of the case. These brackets rest directly
on the main tractor frame. The front end

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BETTERING the BEST
is supported on a cross tie between the side
members of the main tractor frame and, like
the old model, is held down by studs equipped
with heavy coil springs to prevent any twist-
ing of the frame from damaging the motor.
q The manifold arrangement on the new

“Sixty” motor is entirely new. It provides
automatic control of the heating of the air
entering the carburetor. This arrangement
insures getting the hottest air to the carbure-
tor when the motor is in the idling position
or running on light load, and cooler air or
cold air when the motor is operating on full
load. The motor is also equipped with a larger
air cleaner than the one formerly used. This
is the second time within a year that the
“Sixty” air cleaner has been increased in size.
The valve lift has been increased from 3-8
in. to 9-16 in., giving much better oppor-
' tunity for a fully efficient charge to enter the
cylinders.

ee Same

BETTERING the BEST

The above changes have made it possible
for the new “Sixty” motor to deliver more
than 60 horsepower to the drawbar and more
than 72 horsepower from the belt. Recent
tests indicate that this tractor can deliver
more than 12,000 pounds pull to the draw-
bar in low gear, more than 9,000 pounds in
second gear and more than 6,000 pounds in
high gear, at rated speed.

The “Sixty” strut rod is carried in brack-
ets, which are now bolted to the tops of the
swing frame channels instead of on the sides
of the channels between the webs. This
change in location raises the strut rod several
inches farther from the ground and greatly
lessens the likelihood of its being bent by
striking stumps, stones or other obstructions.

The main tractor frame of the “Sixty” is
made up in sections. The cross ties are bolted
in place instead of being riveted. This makes

BETTERING the BEST

it easy to dismantle the frame should occasion
arise. Both the border angles on the side mem-
bers are extended through to the radiator.

The “Sixty” equalizer bar is carried on
two heavy ship channels, which are bolted
in place to special brackets riveted to the in-
side of the frame. The equalizer bar pin is
flattened on each end and is held in place
with U bolts.

Silcrome steel exhaust valves will stand a
higher temperature without burning than did
the chrome steel valves formerly used. The
Silcrome valves are the same as used in the
Liberty motor.

“The “Thirty” motor also has received its
share of attention. Longer pistons give better
wearing qualities and minimize oil consump-
tion. Increased compression, coupled with the
use of the Stromberg carburetor, have result-
ed in the ability of the present “Thirty” to

Showing
the
Oscillation
of the
“Thirty”

deliver its rated drawbar load of 25 horse-

power with entire ease.

A new arrangement of water passages in
the “Thirty” cylinder head insures water cir-
culation around the valve seats, keeping the
valves cool and therefore tight. An eight-
blade fan replaces the former four-blade fan

BETTERING the BEST

and assures much more efficient radiation.

On the “Thirty” heavier angle iron braces
are used between the swing frames and the
sprocket shaft. Heavier reinforcing braces
connect the trucks and inside swing frame
boxes. These braces are heat-treated steel
castings and are secured with nickel steel
heat-treated bolts.

The “Thirty” motor and transmission are
now supported on a heavy alloy steel leaf
spring, which is so mounted that it can oscil-
late. The main spring is held in place on a
cam-shaped bracket and its movement 1s con-
trolled by a supplementary leaf spring mount-
ed under the main spring. This supplementary
spring dampens the oscillation of the main
spring so that the main spring gives much the
same support to the tractor on side hills as
did the solid equalizer bar. The main spring
and the supplementary spring are both held

BETTERING the BEST

The aoe
New GES
Equalizer
Spring
on the
“Thirty”

together by heat-treated alloy steel clips.

This spring support acts with extreme flex-
ibility and absorbs most of the shocks and
jars occasioned by driving the tractor over
rough and uneven surfaces. It also allows
full oscillation of the truck frame. It is one
of the most valuable of the recent improve-
ments incorporated in this machine.

The “Thirty” sprocket shaft now has a
bearing at its center, which makes this shaft
more rigid and gives better support to the
inside swing frame bearings.

Improved dirt guards are placed around

BETTERING the BEST

the sprockets and assist materially in keeping
dirt from getting into the tracks.

The track centers of the “Thirty” are 2
ins. wider, and the over-all width on the
ground is 41/, ins. more.

The track shoe width is 13 ins. instead of
111/ ins., giving better traction. The track
shoes are held on the links with nickel steel
heat-treated bolts. These bolts have 21/ times
the tensile strength of the machine bolts for-
merly used.

The most important change of the year on
the “Thirty” was the change from two for-
ward speeds to three. The present speeds are:

Reverse
A selective type gear shift lock is used,
which can be operated with one hand.

BERT BRING the BEST

Gears of heavier pitch are used in the
transmission and final drive.

The “Thirty” bull pinion, as well as the
“Sixty,” has a bearing on each side instead of
being overhung with a bearing on only one
side as formerly. Bock adjustable taper roller
bearings made from alloy steel are used on
each side of the bevel gear and in the sprocket
hub.

The “Thirty” reverse idler gear bearings
have been increased in size. The reverse idler
pin is heavier and is drilled to feed the oil to
the center of the bearing.

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ETRACKIAYERS
TRACTORS